Samsung's Vision Pro rival to get a big boost from a clever Google acquisition

Google has strengthened its mixed reality (XR) credentials once again with another key acquisition, and it’s a positive move for the Android XR headset it’s co-developing with Samsung.

The acquisition will see engineering staff from HTC’s Vive division, “with a proven track record in the VR space”, move over to Google.

Their task once they arrive is to work on the Android XR platform, covering both headsets and glasses. Android XR is Google’s operating system specifically designed for these devices.

Google, Samsung and Qualcomm are collaboratively working on Project Moohan – the first mixed reality headset to run Android XR – linking the now former HTC Vive staff directly to this project.

Just a day before Google’s acquisition announcement, Samsung was showing off the Project Moohan headset at its Galaxy S25 launch event in San Jose, California. While attendees weren’t able to use the headset (or even touch it, via The Verge), the hardware was on display for all to see.

The first Apple Vision Pro rival

Project Moohan has been teased on multiple occasions, but the fact the headset appeared in the flesh during the Samsung Unpacked event signals it may be nearing a possible release.

It’s unlikely to be a consumer-focused device, at least at first, with the plan to make it available to developers only initially.

While the specs of Project Moohan remain thin on the ground, all reports point to this mixed reality headset being a true Apple Vision Pro rival – and just looking at the headset you do get some strong Vision Pro vibes. We also wouldn't be surprised if Project Moohan carried a similarly wallet-troubling price tag.

Like Vision Pro, Moohan is expected to be more advanced than the likes of the Meta Quest 3 and Pico 4 Ultra, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in AR, VR and XR environments.

We're still waiting to find out the Project Moohan release date, but with new personnel now in Google's ranks we wouldn't be surprised if things start to really ramp up around this headset.